In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, Worf and Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) finally tie the knot in the episode "You Are Cordially Invited..." bringing their season-long romance to a head. In many ways, Dax is everything Worf is not: she's brash, impulsive, lively, and utterly unwilling to conform to tradition. In other words, Jadzia Dax is the perfect complement for Worf's formality. The two of them share one of the greatest romances in Star Trek, and it is frankly bizarre that none of Worf's friends from Star Trek: The Next Generation showed up for their wedding.
Star Trek’s In-Universe Reason Why No TNG Characters Went To Worf’s DS9 Wedding
It Was A Rushed Wedding And The Enterprise Was On Assignment
Lt. Commander Worf served with the crew of the USS Enterprise-D for seven years, and even after he transferred to Deep Space Nine, they would have remained his family - so, they should have been at his wedding. However, there are several reasons why the crew of the Enterprise could not have shown up. "You Are Cordially Invited..." takes place in 2374, right in between Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection. The Enterprise was on assignment; it wouldn’t make sense for the Federation’s flagship to be diverted to attend a wedding, even for Lt. Commander Worf.
Another reason Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew may not have been able to attend is the timetable of the wedding itself. Understandably, Lt. Commander Worf wanted to include his son, Alexander Rozhenko (Marc Worden) in the ceremony as his Tawi'Yan, or sword bearer - the Klingon equivalent of a best man. But Alexander was about to begin service on the Klingon vessel Ya'Vang, and Worf and Jadzia agreed to move up the timetable of the wedding. This change of schedule could easily have prevented characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation from appearing at the wedding.
The Real World Reasons Why Worf’s DS9 Wedding Had No TNG Guest Stars
Paramount Could Not Make The Logistics Work
The in-universe reasons for Worf's wedding were under the control of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's writers and Paramount executives. If the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation could have appeared in the wedding scene, "You Are Cordially Invited..." would have been written to include them. Ultimately, their absence from Lt. Commander Worf's wedding is better explained by out-of-universe filming logistics than in-universe contrivances. Cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation would have been expensive to appear as guest stars on Deep Space Nine.
Furthermore, Paramount prioritized Star Trek: Voyager over Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: The Next Generation characters like Marina Sirtis' Counselor Deanna Troi were more apt to appear on Captain Kathryn Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) series. Ultimately, Lt. Commanders Worf and Jadzia Dax's wedding was a highlight of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, with or without appearances from the crew of the USS Enterprise-E.
